1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an audio-visual device, and particularly to a phonograph device including a visual image projector wherein the phonograph turntable and image projector are mechanically synchronized such that a visual image is displayed in synchronism with a correlated audio message.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is desirable to provide a phonograph device adapted for use by children that displays an image in synchronism with the playing of a record. For this use the phonograph device should preferably be inexpensive and durable.
Typical prior art phonographs with visual image projectors display a picture on a side or back or the casing of the phonograph. These visual images or pictures are typically projected from discrete slides or frames printed on a film strip or similar media. These slides are incrementally advanced by a mechanism that is synchronized with the playing of a record; however, these incremental images are not continuous thereby substantially reducing the realism of the visual story portrayed. Moreover, the complex advancement mechanism employed in these prior art devices to advance the slide incrementally is complex both in operation and construction. In addition, the projection of the image onto a screen defined on a side of the housing of the device requires the placement of the toy on a surface that is elevated, such as a table, so as to provide a convenient angle of observation for the child.